Gloria "Muzzie" Delzer, 82 of Spearfish died Sunday, March 1, 2009 in Huntington Beach, CA.
Visitation will be from 4-7 P.M., Sunday, March 8, 2009 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels in Spearfish.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 P.M., Monday, March 9, 2009 at the United Methodist Church in Spearfish with Pastor Dar Berkenpas officiating, interment will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the American Diabetes Association.
Charles and Gertrude Cheskey were blessed with the seventh of their eight children on February 15, 1927 when Gloria Maxine Cheskey was brought into this world. Gloria's childhood was characterized by life on the family farm. With no running water and the challenges brought on by the "dirty thirties," Gloria and her seven siblings had humble beginnings. These years had a strong influence on Gloria's character and outlook on life— nothing was more important than family.
Gloria graduated from Selby High School in 1944 and began a teaching career. In her final year of high school, she caught the eye of a tall athletic classmate named Melvin Delzer and they began a relationship that would last forever. Melvin finished school, enlisted in the Navy and was soon serving on the USS Hornet in the South Pacific. When the war ended, the Gloria took a train cross-country to meet Melvin in San Francisco and they celebrated with a nation! Upon his return to Selby, Gloria and Melvin went into business together when Melvin purchased the Deluxe Café in Selby. Soon after, in August of 1947, they were married.
They moved into an apartment above the café and Gloria gave up her teaching career to give full-time attention to the café business while Melvin started Delzer Excavation and began doing sewer & water line jobs and basements in the Selby area. Things were going well and by 1950 the Deluxe was established enough to justify a move down Main Street into the new Beren's Hotel. Delzer Excavating, eventually became a highway contracting company— Delzer Construction, which would provide a comfortable lifestyle for their brood.
In 1951, Gloria and Melvin started a family that wasn't complete until 1961 with the birth of their fifth child. So it was...the two "big boys," Roger and Ross, Colleen "in the middle" and the two "little boys," Charles and Bernard.
Muzzie (or Muzz), as she was affectionately called, had a knack for making people feel welcome and comfortable. Consequently, the Delzer household became "the gathering spot" for friends and neighbors. With her encouragement, the kids were always very active in music and sports. Her family was precious to her and she showed it everyday with constant support and dedication to her children and her Melvin. One of the family's enduring traditions began in 1968, when they boarded a ship and sailed the Hawaiian Islands for Christmas holiday.
In 1970, the family moved from Selby to Rapid City, SD in order to be closer to Melvin's highway construction jobs. Muzzie maintained her full-time position as office manager for Delzer Construction. During the 70's Melvin diversified the grading business to include gravel & paving and they began buying farm and ranch land in the Spearfish area most notably the Spearfish Valley Ranch & Campground. They moved their original brick house from Selby to a beautiful location on the ranch overlooking Spearfish Creek and the valley. During this time, the "big boys" were married and the excitement of having grandchildren began.
Gradually the family businesses expanded to include Delzer Construction, Aggregates Gravel & Paving, Centenial Quarry, Pepper Oil & Gas, Fort Union Coal Mine, Golden Plains Feedlot and a large farming and ranching operation; Melvin & Gloria were definitely walking on busy feet! It was a fun and exciting time for them. Meanwhile, Colleen and the "little boys" were off to California for college and Melvin and Gloria moved permanently to the Spearfish Valley Ranch.
Tragedy struck in 1988 when Colleen suffered a stroke. Muzzie dedicated herself to caring for Colleen until her death in 1994. After Colleen's passing, Melvin and Gloria settled back into life on the Spearfish Valley Ranch, and spent winters in California. Muzzie cherished being near her grandkids and great grandkids and spent lots of time attending their functions and offering her support – they "kept her young". Unfortunately, Muzzie's "Golden Years" were cut short when Melvin died due to complications from an automobile accident in 2000. Her high school sweetheart, husband and soul-mate was gone after 57 years together.
Muzzie lived on the ranch for a short period of time before moving in with son Charles and his wife in Spearfish. Winters were spent in California with son Bernard and her two sisters and their families. In 2006, Muzzie and Charles moved to Huntington Beach, CA where she spent her final years enjoying breakfasts out with Charles, reading, scrap-booking and watching sports and generally staying active. Muzz was a huge sports fan and enjoyed attending all kinds of college and professional events and taking part in fantasy leagues. The family's traditional Hawaii Christmas vacations continued as Muzz would spend most of December and January in Maui. Muzzie would also return to Spearfish stay with son Ross and his wife for several weeks in the summer to see her grandkids and great grandkids and to watch them growing up.
Gloria is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Gertrude Cheskey; husband Melvin Delzer; brothers Wayne, LaRue, Arlo and Cameron Cheskey; sisters Vivienne Leonard and Florence Cheskey; daughter Colleen Delzer and granddaughter Denae Delzer. She is survived by her sister Dorothy Jett of Simi Valley, CA; sons Roger and wife Sharon of Spearfish, Ross and wife Barb of Spearfish, Charles of Huntington Beach, CA, and Bernard of Newport Beach, CA; 5 grandchildren Randy and wife Viola, Rayce, Ryan and Brandon Delzer, Jill Larson and husband Ryan and 5 great-grandchildren Sidney Jones, Kael Delzer, Mason, Greta and Trig Larson.